FIU Libraries: Survey Design: Survey Creation

Tips for Creating a Better Survey

The Basics of Survey Creation

Voluntary Participation is a requirement for all surveys.
State exactly how long the survey is but...
Keep it short, otherwise you risk *satisficing behaviours skewing your results.
It should look official or important so that respondents take it seriously.
Be sure it is user friendly. This will improve data quality.
Number the questions so respondents can gage their progress.
DO NOT overuse text! This increases the cognitive load and respondents will lose motivation, corrupting your data.

*Satisficing - giving an answer that satisfies without necessarily being honest or accurate.

Question Types
Question Types	Example
Simple Questions	Yes/No
Running Prompt	"How many times have you visited the library? 1 = rarely, 5 = every day
Closed question	Choosing an answer along a scale: Mark all = multiple response closed question
Filter question	Receiving a different next question depending on your answer
Open ended question	"Please tell us how we can improve your experience"

The Agree/Disagree Scale
Pros	Cons
Easy to administer	Respondents may adopt *acquiescing strategies
Fewer "don't know" answers	Respondents may adopt the satisficing strategy
Respondents prefer these	In some cases the answer is too ambiguous

*Acquiescing - giving an answer the respondent believes to appropriate rather than factual

Avoiding Bias

It is particularly easy to accidently introduce bias into these types of questions, for this reason, some social scientists recommend NEVER using agree/disagree scales. See Krosnick, JA. Survey Research. Annual Review of Psychology Vol. 50:537-567 (Volume publication date February 1999) https ://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.50.1.537

Example
Avoid	Use
Computer hubs are an essential element of an academic library: strongly disagree - - - strongly agree	Some people believe computer hubs are an essential part of the library experience but others do not believe they are necessary. Which is closest to your opinion? strongly disagree - - -strongly agree

The above graphic represents the process survey respondents go through when answering each individual question on a survey. They often adopt satisficing or aquiescing behaviours when any one of the above steps presents a cognitive challenge. Below are some helpful tips to prevent these types of behaviours.

Satisificing
Satisficing = giving an answer that "satisfies" without regard to accuracy
Problem: One of the most common reasons for this behaviour occurs in step 1 of the process when a respondent encounters comprehension problems.
Lexical Solution: Use vocabulary choices that are accessible and have a commonly understood definition. Semantic Solution: Provide definitions or offer them verbally Pragmatic Solution: try to block respondents' unintended inferences
Example: The word "counselor" without a qualifier, may immediately bring to mind a psychologist for one person and an attorney for another. Be sure to qualify this type of word.

Acquiescing & Sensitive Questions
Acquiescing = giving an answer the respondent believes to be appropriate rather than factual Sensitive questions = those topics with a social stigma, illegal behaviour, and private information
Problem: This behaviour can occur with comprehension problems but is especially common with sensitive-type questions.
Solutions: For sensitive questions, do the following: do not be present during the answering of sensitive questions make the question easy (use familiar words) embed the question among non-sensitive one use ONLY ONE sensitive question per survey consider using an open-ended format assure respondent of confidentiality
Things to consider: Sensitive questions have a 25% higher non-response rate they yield less accurate data misreporting (acquiescing)

Floor		Resources
One		Center for Academic Success: University Learning/Testing Center Electronic Classroom Broadcast Video Productions Resource for Education Technology UTS - Media Equipment Services Distance Learning Electronic Classroom Instructional Photography & Graphics
Two		Information & Research Services Curriculum & Juvenile Collection LACiC - Latin American and Caribbean Center Government Documents GIS-RS Center & Teaching Lab Maps & Imagery User Statistics
Three		Periodicals & Newspapers Laptop Lounge Honors College Student Resource Center College of Medicine Library Copiers Systems
Four		College of Medicine Special Collections & Archivese Academic Space Management School of Social Work Study Area
Five		Audiovisual Collection Diaz Ayala Collection Architecture and Fine Arts (General Collection and Periodical Section N) Music (General Collection and Periodical Section M) Music Listening Room Music CAI Center Spanish Resource Center Group Study Rooms
Six		Quiet Study Space Group Study Rooms General Collection HJ-L & P-Z Oversized Books
Seven		General Collection A-HG Quiet Study Floor Group Study Rooms
Eight		Library Administration Collection Management Digital Collections Center

Floor		Resources
One		Circulation Course Reserves Intercampus/Interlibrary Loan Information and Research Services Center for Excellence in Writing Communication Arts Studio Computer Labs/Copiers
Two		Microforms Periodicals Juvenile Collection Oversize Collection Video Collection Government Documents Reference Workroom Reference Collection Copiers
Three		General Collection, A-Z Library Administration

Survey Design

Tips for Creating a Better Survey

The Basics of Survey Creation

Question Types

The Agree/Disagree Scale

Avoiding Bias

Satisificing

Acquiescing & Sensitive Questions

Information

Libraries

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